[Chris_Himself]

I've always thought these were the prettiest headphones.. I haven't heard them I just know that they're "more" Grado the more you spend heading up to the RS-1... but what is the consensus on these?
 
I've always disregarded this model due to the bad voodoo but I've recommended it whenever it fell into someone's price budget always just because I like what the other models sound like, and for the most part every single person who's ever gotten them has been happy...
 
So what do you owners of these headphones actually have to say about it compared to the others? 
 
From what I can tell a good amount of people believe the treble to be super bright and harsh to this due to the aluminum chambers, but how is this possible when the  HP1k and PS-1, and other aluminum bodied brethren have all been home runs and grail headphones for many?
 
My current Grado lineup:
 
SR-60 silver recabled
SR-80i stock (reference prestige series)
SR-225 recabled
Magnum V4 in RS-2i cups silver recabled
Stock RS-2i (my reference Grado)
 
Would an SR-325 fit in here somewhere? I see them for like 200 bucks sometimes, especially since the goldies happen to be my favorite ones. I could get rid of some stuff if it displaces anything.
 
I keep getting these things as giveaways from people as payment haha
 
I've been told I could just buy an LCD-2 if I got rid of this stuff which I'm sure could be better but ergonomically it sort of failed me and it's rather large LOL

 

[Gwarmi]

Still happy as larry over here Chris 

 
I found that mine got better with a more resolving source
and amp that tends to be neutral-ish with a touch of
warmth.
 
Mine only get unruly with really shoddy mastering
eg, Chilli Peppers, Oasis, old 50's rockabilly, some
reggae. You can't have it all though, you have to
take the good ~ their relentless attack with the
bad - they will not forgive bad material or a poor
source/amp.
 
And yes, Radiohead still rocks harder on the
325i than they do on the LCD-2 rev2 to my
ears. The LCD-2 is too refined and smooth,
it lacks that raw, un-tamed edge for dirty
rock like Iggy pop to Primal Scream.

 

[Kevin Brown]

 
Quote:

SR-60 silver recabled
SR-80i stock (reference prestige series)
SR-225 recabled
Magnum V4 in RS-2i cups silver recabled
Stock RS-2i (my reference Grado)

 
I don't know what the Magnum's you have sound like, but I've heard all the others and a lot of other Grado's.  The 325 is brighter than all of those.  Some people call it "sparkle" and that it brings out even more detail and resolution to recordings.  Me?  I say they are harsh and fatiguing and impossible to listen to for any length of time.
 
I'd suggest the Alessandro MS2i or the HF2 or the new PS500 instead.
 
Btw, I've also owned the Alessandro MS Pro, and had very short auditions with the RS1 and GS1000, and none of those usurped the RS2i as my favorite Grado, with the HF2 as a very close #2. 

 

 

[bbophead]

 
I've been told I could just buy an LCD-2 if I got rid of this stuff which I'm sure could be better but ergonomically it sort of failed me and it's rather large LOL

Love the 325is with G-Cush (for soundstaging and comfort), just sent them off to be woodied so I'll see if that changes the signature any.  Yes, they can be a little hot due primarily to what I suspect is a peak at around 2-3K.  The PS500 solves this and me likee. Had the LCD-2 rev.1 and sold them after a month, complete opposite but loved the sub-bass.  I think it would be very difficult to like the LCD signature if you really like the Grado sound.  
 
 

 

[PhoneHome]

Not to hijack the thread, but what are your opinions of the different Grado SR's you own?  I'm looking at going that route and can't really tell the difference between them.  I listened to the SR-80i and it sounded great but the SR-225i's are in my price range too.
 
Quote:

My current Grado lineup:
 
SR-60 silver recabled
SR-80i stock (reference prestige series)
SR-225 recabled
Magnum V4 in RS-2i cups silver recabled
Stock RS-2i (my reference Grado)

 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Quote:

Love the 325is with G-Cush (for soundstaging and comfort), just sent them off to be woodied so I'll see if that changes the signature any.  Yes, they can be a little hot due primarily to what I suspect is a peak at around 2-3K.  The PS500 solves this and me likee. Had the LCD-2 rev.1 and sold them after a month, complete opposite but loved the sub-bass.  I think it would be very difficult to like the LCD signature if you really like the Grado sound.  
 
 

Haha wanna pass on your aluminum shells to an old Grado junkie? Like I said, I've always been a fan
I have no idea how I'm going to mount liberated drivers in just shells but we'll figure something out haha. Yes I do like the LCD-2 because of how engaging they are the mids and the bass is magnificent, but it feels like wearing car tires on your head plus it weighs too much, I find it gaudy looking, and you really cannot bring a 900 dollar headphone outside with you... my involvement with those cans are just gonna be cables only! The mild LCD-2 treble recession was a little difficult to get used to, but hell everythign sounds recessed when all you listen to are HD600's and Grados.
 
 


Quote:

 
 
I don't know what the Magnum's you have sound like, but I've heard all the others and a lot of other Grado's.  The 325 is brighter than all of those.  Some people call it "sparkle" and that it brings out even more detail and resolution to recordings.  Me?  I say they are harsh and fatiguing and impossible to listen to for any length of time.
 
I'd suggest the Alessandro MS2i or the HF2 or the new PS500 instead.
 
Btw, I've also owned the Alessandro MS Pro, and had very short auditions with the RS1 and GS1000, and none of those usurped the RS2i as my favorite Grado, with the HF2 as a very close #2. 

 

The Magnum I can only describe as a Grado minus all the little annoying things people have to complain about Grado. Gone are the hot spots of intolerable punishing treble on poor recordings, anemic sub bass on some tracks, and an obvious colored frequency response graph. It's still a Grado house sound with the lovely mids and the hotter treble than most, but it's massaged in all the right places to where you can build a headphone that sounds like $700 out of them for sure. Oh hey, thats what the production magnum cans sound like!
 
What? RS-2 cannot be better than RS-1? I just didn't want to pay 200 bucks for slightly better driver binning (they just cull the non RS-1 spec drivers to become RS-2) and deeper chambers... but hey I would be willing to accept that in no time. PS500 is a bit rich for my budget... I COULD get one but I enjoy wood over aluminum and I'm going to wait for the initial excitement to die down. Also I highly doubt they're going to sound better than magnums, it's almost silly how much I enjoy these.
 
So the 325's ARE brighter than all the other Grados?
 
Gwaami:
Lol I wouldn't be caught dead saying I prefer Grados to LCD-2, I really do but theres too much tunnel vision on head-fi to declare something as silly as that openly! I also just can't wear like 7lb car tires on my head hehe.
 

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 Yep you're right Chris, if I don't post next week you'll know that the Audeze mob finally got me for blasphemy 

 
 I totally respect the LCD-2 rev2 (rev1 never made it to Australia for retail sale) - it is the more technically accomplished
 can compared to the 325i no doubt, both share the same trait in that they're mid-centric cans with a sound stage limitation.
 
 Jazz on jazz, I'd find it hard to pick them apart, I suppose if the source was bright (eg, Benchmark DAC1) I'd put my vote
 on the LCD-2 but for dirty rock ~ it's a no brainer ~ if you want to feel like you've just been audio assaulted then there
 is no substitute - PraT and attack from the 325i remains unrivaled for me in the punker/hard rocker arena, they just
 have the pace, slam and aggressive presentation needed.
 
I'm just taking a stab in the dark here (read: useless opinion I suppose because we're still waiting for it)
 
But if I was you, the PS500 probably deserves a leap of blind faith. Hey bought my 325i in that manner, most
Aussies don't have a choice in that sense with only one store that does not do demos ~ so live dangerously eh!

 

[Chris_Himself]

Quote:

 
 Yep you're right Chris, if I don't post next week you'll know that the Audeze mob finally got me for blasphemy 

 
 I totally respect the LCD-2 rev2 (rev1 never made it to Australia for retail sale) - it is the more technically accomplished
 can compared to the 325i no doubt, both share the same trait in that they're mid-centric cans with a sound stage limitation.
 
 Jazz on jazz, I'd find it hard to pick them apart, I suppose if the source was bright (eg, Benchmark DAC1) I'd put my vote
 on the LCD-2 but for dirty rock ~ it's a no brainer ~ if you want to feel like you've just been audio assaulted then there
 is no substitute - PraT and attack from the 325i remains unrivaled for me in the punker/hard rocker arena, they just
 have the pace, slam and aggressive presentation needed.
 
I'm just taking a stab in the dark here (read: useless opinion I suppose because we're still waiting for it)
 
But if I was you, the PS500 probably deserves a leap of blind faith. Hey bought my 325i in that manner, most
Aussies don't have a choice in that sense with only one store that does not do demos ~ so live dangerously eh!

LCD-2 and HE-500 have both been probably the best headphones overall that I've ever listened to. It's like you take an HD650, remove the darker and bassier coloration, and what you have left is absolute perfection. It doesn't sound boring and I was very hooked on how it sounded especially because when you listen to Grados, that upper mid bass prat is the shizzle!
 
I kept putting on my RS-2's and my various recabled Grados and for the music I listen to, the articulation, hot treble, and well I think both have very lovely mids... plus the better ergos and like half the price tag make it very appealing! I was just missing out on more "presence". Sorry I've never been an audio gear writer but anybody who's heard the two cans knows what I mean.
 
If I had to write about GUNS however, I could go all day!
 

 

[bbophead]

Quote:

LCD-2 and HE-500 have both been probably the best headphones overall that I've ever listened to. It's like you take an HD650, remove the darker and bassier coloration, and what you have left is absolute perfection. It doesn't sound boring and I was very hooked on how it sounded especially because when you listen to Grados, that upper mid bass prat is the shizzle!
 
I kept putting on my RS-2's and my various recabled Grados and for the music I listen to, the articulation, hot treble, and well I think both have very lovely mids... plus the better ergos and like half the price tag make it very appealing! I was just missing out on more "presence". Sorry I've never been an audio gear writer but anybody who's heard the two cans knows what I mean.
 
If I had to write about GUNS however, I could go all day!
 

I've beaten this poor dead horse before.  Let the beatings re-commence.  
 
It cost me about $200 to experience the LCD-2 for the time I had it (re-sold).  It had a weird soundstage and no highs, the weight didn't bother me that much but it was not "fun" and I prefered a $300 can.  I've listened to the HE-5LE and that was more like it but, again not quite enough upper mid-range to lower treble and, I find that orthos, in general, have an off putting texture to the sound.  In a way I have the same kind of problem with 'stats though with a completely different texture, they're wonderfully transparent and clear, yet there's something different that I can't seem to get used to.  Both draw my attention away from the music.  Can't really put my finger on it, maybe I just like the way dynamics handle music.  It's curious.

 
 

 

[LugBug1]

no other cans that I've heard can reproduce real timbre like Grado. Especially percussion.  
 
Always wanted to try the 325's meself but I'm interested in the ps500's now... shouldn't have read this thread  

 

[thelostMIDrange]

......

 

[bbophead]

Quote:

no other cans that I've heard can reproduce real timbre like Grado. Especially percussion.  
 
Always wanted to try the 325's meself but I'm interested in the ps500's now... shouldn't have read this thread  

For futher torture, read my "review" nestled in my sig.
 
 

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

For futher torture, read my "review" nestled in my sig.
 
 

Just read, very nice first impression review. It actually reminds me a bit of when I first bought my RS1i's and compared them to my 225i's. Everything is just that little bit better though albeit at a price.
 
incidently, I listen to classical/jazz too so its nice to read a review about Grado without electric guitars at the forefront!
 
(sorry, back to the 325's!

)
    

 

[Chris_Himself]

Hmm...
 
Maybe I SHOULD have posted my opinions on the LCD-2...
 
 It's still one of the best crowdpleasers hands down for music though. For a certain sound that we've all become attuned to, nothing will really do it although I have been told HD-800 can do the job.